William Lucking and motorcycle films. Nov 9, 2008
" Q: Speaking of which, do you remember much about your accident? A: I can see the damn thing clearly, even if I can't remember the movie. ... It was on the Dumbarton Bridge. I was playing a motorcycle cop, and I was chasing the two people who had a tree in the back of their truck. And there was an old woman and a young guy. I was at the top end of third gear at 80 miles per hour, and the kickstand came down and buried in the asphalt and slammed me in the bridge, and ... "Harold and Maude"! The... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Cult Movie: Harold and Maude (1971) Oct 5, 2008
One of the great cult films of the 1970s, Harold and Maude blends an outrageous conceit with a biting anti-establishment satire, tender sweetness and irreverent humor ... Harold and Maude clearly is a product of the 60s counterculture. (Suite101.com)
Harold and Maude’ falls flat as a musical Aug 8, 2008
Harold and Maude falls flat as a musical ... That s a tall order for Harold and Maude, Colin Higgins s story of a May-December romance ... The Cain Park production of Harold and Maude: An Intimate Musical, is directed by Victoria Bussert. (Cleveland Jewish News, OH)
Affordable oasis near the sea Jul 28, 2008
The final scene in the 1971 movie "Harold and Maude," where Harold drives a car off a cliff, was shot at Mori Point. 2. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Slacker lifestyle finds top billing in Hollywood films Jul 17, 2008
What amazes me is that although I seemingly did very little during that period, there are still stories to be told, stories that don't involve watching Harold and Maude 25 times or rolling out of bed at noon. Although I would not recommend it for any length of time, if at all, living the slacker life embodies a sort of freedom often secretly longed for. (The Augusta Chronicle)
Fire up your remotes Jul 4, 2008
Based on a play penned by actress Ruth Gordon a.k.a. Maude in Harold and Maude the story casts the reliable Tracy in the role of Clinton Jones, a former ship captain reduced to a lowly office job. While Clinton yearns for the open sea, his flighty daughter Ruth (Jean Simmons) wants to run away and be an actress. (Globe and Mail)
Don't open the ex-files Jun 21, 2008
Or Harold, from Harold And Maude, explaining to a potential new girl why he ended the last relationship: "Well, you probably can't ask her, she died. Oh no, it's not sad - she was 80, after all." At the end of Todd Solondz's miserable comedy Happiness, there's a glimmer of hope that Philip Seymour Hoffman's perverted Allen may be given a chance at love with Jane Adams' Joy - as long as Joy's sister (whose only meeting with him arose from the fact that he sexually abused her down the phone by way... (Guardian Unlimited -- Arts)
Making sense of the AFI's 'Top 10 Films in 10 Genres' list Jun 19, 2008
On the plus side, a lot of truly great movies are on the list; any list that encourages viewers to rediscover The Thief of Baghdad, the 1932 Scarface, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Annie Hall, Harold and Maude, The Verdict, Witness for the Prosecution, Anatomy of a Murder, In Cold Blood, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Reds is doing a great service. Still, as much as I love old classics, there's something a little depressing about how old this list skews. (Entertainment Weekly)
Best of 10: AFI releases top-10 genre film lists Jun 19, 2008
" 1989.7. "Adam's Rib," 1949.8. "Moonstruck," 1987.9. "Harold and Maude," 1971.10. "Sleepless in Seattle," 1993.COURTROOM DRAMA1. "To Kill a Mockingbird," 1962.2. "12 Angry Men," 1957.3. "Kramer Vs. Kramer," 1979.4. "The Verdict," 1982.5. "A Few Good Men," 1992.6. "Witness for the Prosecution," 1957.7. "Anatomy of a Murder," 1959.8. "In Cold Blood," 1967.9. "A Cry in the Dark," 1988.10. "Judgment at Nuremberg," 1961.EPIC1. "Lawrence of Arabia," 1962.2. "Ben-Hur," 1959.3. "Schindler's List,"... (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier)
American Film Institute Releases Top Films Jun 18, 2008
Last Update: 8:36 am. "The Wizard of Oz" has been selected by the AFI as the top fantasy film of all time. (FOX23 News, NY)
AFI picks best films in 10 categories Jun 18, 2008
Romantic comedy: "City Lights," "Annie Hall," "It Happened One Night," "Roman Holiday," "The Philadelphia Story," "When Harry Met Sally ...," "Adam's Rib," "Moonstruck," "Harold and Maude," "Sleepless in Seattle.". Courtroom drama: "To Kill a Mockingbird," "12 Angry Men," "Kramer vs. Kramer," "The Verdict," "A Few Good Men," "Witness for the Prosecution," "Anatomy of a Murder," "In Cold Blood," "A Cry in the Dark," "Judgment at Nuremberg.". (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
AFI names top 10 films in 10 genres: Did they get it right? Jun 18, 2008
Ill leave my brief comments on a positive note: Thank you, AFI, for validating Harold and Maude as one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time ... 368 HAROLD AND MAUDEParamount, 1971. (Seacoast New Hampshire)
Hal Ashby's films are tributes to the underdog May 25, 2008
Next up came Harold and Maude (1971), written by Colin Higgins ... Sweet, biting, and utterly of its time -- although, paradoxically, it feels fresh -- Harold and Maude is the story of a lonely teenager (Bud Cort) who gets his kicks devising macabre pranks to upset his mother ... It's hard to imagine that Harold and Maude would have worked with other actors. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Features)
Arts & Living Apr 11, 2008
I couldn't help thinking of the recent movie "Driving Lessons," while I was watching the 1971 film "Harold and Maude." In "Driving Lessons" a teenager played by Rupert Grint (Ron of the "Harry Potter" films) befriends an eccentric woman who is old enough to be his grandmother. By Courtney Coulombe. (The New Hampshire, NH)
Film Underground Presents: "Harold and Maude" Apr 11, 2008
I couldn't help thinking of the recent movie "Driving Lessons," while I was watching the 1971 film "Harold and Maude." In "Driving Lessons" a teenager played by Rupert Grint (Ron of the "Harry Potter" films) befriends an eccentric woman who is old enough to be his grandmother ... In "Harold and Maude," a rich 19-20-year old named Harold, befriends an eccentric 79-year-old woman named Maude, who then teaches him important life lessons ... The difference is "Harold and Maude" takes the idea to its... (The New Hampshire, NH)
Local movie buffs create their 'dream' festivals Apr 10, 2008
") and the editing genius of future director Hal Ashby ("Harold and Maude," "Shampoo," "Coming Home"). "The Loved One" is frightfully overlooked and overflowing with slapstick wit, poking fun at everything from the burial of citizens of the English Empire in America to the Italian Mafia's influence on Hollywood and the ridiculous capitalist opportunities of The Space Race. "Dr. Strangelove" meets "Six Feet Under"? "Our Man In Havana" (1959) Carol Reed and Graham Greene are well known for their... (Athens Banner-Herald)
Filmmaker put focus on characters, story Mar 27, 2008
HAROLD AND MAUDE (1971): A beautiful black comedy built around a May-December romance, Harold and Maude has become required viewing for generations of sensitive young film fans. It's a powerful, poignant and uplifting story that touches on mortality, morbidity and living life without becoming too maudlin. (The Augusta Chronicle)
'Charlie Bartlett' Tackles Teen Prescription-Drug Abuse, In A Funny Way Feb 27, 2008
SANTA MONICA, California At first glance, you might assume "Charlie Bartlett" is another Hollywood coming-of-age wannabe in the mold of "Igby Goes Down," "Tadpole" and "Rushmore," movies that try to pour disparate classics like "Harold and Maude," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "The Graduate" into a blender to see if a yummy concoction spills out. Look a bit deeper, however, and you might find a flick with its finger on the pulse of one of society's fastest-growing cancers. (VHI.com -- Music News)
Clever 'Charlie Bartlett' ranks up among comedic best Feb 22, 2008
And the film centered on him is a clever, inventive and ambitious comedy with echoes of Rushmore, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and even Harold and Maude. But its closest cousin is probably the more recent Juno, given its satirical bent, snarky dialogue and stereotype-defying characters. (USA Today -- Life)
Schooled in cool Jan 20, 2008
When he declares that his is 'the worst generation that history has ever produced', you think of the gloomy, poor little rich boy character in Hal Ashby's black comedy Harold and Maude. Nevertheless, you can't help but be swayed by his determination to transform rock into an intelligent medium. (Guardian Unlimited)
Charlie Brooker Dec 22, 2007
Round two: Tabloid Movie Scenes 13 Casino 14 An American Werewolf In London 15 The Bourne Ultimatum 16 Harold And Maude 17 Carry On Abroad 18 For Your Eyes Only. Round three: Lyrical Summary 19 Delilah, by Tom Jones 20 Too Close, by Blue 21 Every Breath You Take, by The Police 22 Chain Reaction, by Diana Ross 23 You're Beautiful, by James Blunt 24 Sweat (A La Long), by Inner Circle 25 2 Become 1, by The Spice Girls 26 Run For Your Life, by The Beatles 27 Save Your Kisses For Me, by Brotherhood... (Guardian Unlimited)
Bart to receive RAAM award Dec 2, 2007
After 10 years as a reporter at the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, Bart entered the movie business as vice president of production at Paramount Pictures, where he played a pivotal role in developing and supervising movies such as The Godfather and Harold and Maude. . (Variety)
Studio classics in need of facelifts Dec 1, 2007
Other vulnerable pics from the era include the seminal dark comedy "Harold and Maude," which is in grave condition. Even "The Godfather" was recently in need of triage. (Variety)
Mr. Magorium is a genuine wonder Nov 15, 2007
Like Maude in Harold and Maude, Mr. Magorium has decided that he has lived a full life and that its time for him to depart. He wants to bequeath the store to his manager, Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman), a blocked composer and pianist whos not sure that she has the magic necessary to keep this uniquely nutty store in business after the boss is gone. (MSNBC -- News)
More films are using one artist for music Oct 30, 2007
Some of the most famous soundtracks are dominated by one artist or group, such as Simon & Garfunkel's work on The Graduate or Cat Stevens' songs for Harold and Maude. More moviemakers are now trying that approach to make the music become a distinctive voice for the story. (USA Today)
Ryan Gosling Reveals Love For 'Real Girl,' Ponders His Chances In A Fight With Will Ferrell Sep 21, 2007
The only thing we could compare it to was a Hal Ashby film, something like "Harold and Maude" or "Being There." Also, I think for me the film has the spirit of a Gene Wilder performance in it. Gene Wilder is kind of my Marlon Brando he can make you laugh and break your heart in the same moment. (VHI.com -- Music News)
Gosling content to swim against Hollywood Sep 13, 2007
"As well as the 1950 movie in which James Stewart portrays a man who lives in contentedly boozy company with an imaginary giant rabbit, Lars reminded Gosling of certain other, similarly under-regarded films concerned with people who drift more or less happily on the far side of normal. "It also had a kind of Hal Ashby thing I liked," he says. "Like Being There or Harold and Maude. "But then comes the Ryan Gosling king of compliments. "I think Gene Wilder is one of the most underrated actors of... (Toronto Star)
Venice infused with 70s spirit Sep 4, 2007
"The studios used to make 'Harold and Maude' and 'Network' and 'All the President's Men,' " lamented Clooney. "We want to try and use the things we learned from foreign films and from independent films in the 90s, and try and infuse that back into the studio system which is how it used to be," he added. (Variety)
'Nerd' is the word Sep 1, 2007
" Coming-of-age stories that endure - "The Graduate", "Harold and Maude "and "Welcome to the Dollhouse "- tend to recognize that adolescent life is not divided between popular and unpopular kids. Rather, everyone feels like an outsider, Blitz says. "I think "nerd' connotes a certain kind of kid who is more likely to exist on-screen than in reality: math club, pocket-protector, glasses, socially ungraced and generally repulsive and misunderstood," he says. "But nerds aren't the only group who get... (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
'Nerd' is the word in new slew of films Aug 30, 2007
Coming-of-age stories that endure The Graduate, Harold and Maude and Welcome to the Dollhouse tend to recognize that adolescent life is not divided between popular and unpopular kids. Rather, everyone feels like an outsider, Blitz says. (USA Today)
Shock-rocker has rediscovered that `I've gotta be me' Aug 28, 2007
"I'm absolutely not looking for someone who agrees with me about everything," Manson quickly adds, "or someone who wants to please me by believing what I believe. But I need the same dark romantic yearning. I had been watching all these movies, like True Romance and Harold and Maude and The Hunger and Bonnie and Clyde, and I started wondering where that sort of feeling had gone. I thought that was where I was at in my life, and I couldn't understand why I didn't feel that same fearlessness.". He... (The Star Online, Malaysia)
See 'Rocket Science' Aug 24, 2007
Blitz has cited Hal Ashby (Harold and Maude, Being There) as an influence, but I see him as heir to the young Howard Zieff (Slither, Hearts of the West), a director who conveyed a belief in universal eccentricity with visual and verbal jokes that were organic, fizzy and surprising. Blitz keeps himself open to gags that land onscreen from the peanut gallery, such as some school auditorium wiseacre calling out "Lincoln is a chick" during a re-enactment of the Lincoln-Douglas debate (and indeed... (SunSpot.net)
Blinded by Science Aug 18, 2007
" Blitz cites the late Hal Ashby, director of such classic fare as Harold and Maude, The Last Detail and Being There, as an inspiration for his own work. (Strangely enough, Ashby is also the front rank idol of Superbad star Jonah Hill.) "He allows things to be really funny and really dark and never loses that fundamental sense of humanity," Blitz explains. "I think that's such a hard thing to achieve and I think most filmmakers don't do it. I think when most filmmakers set out to make a quirky... (Film Stew)
Director mines the teen experience in 'Rocket Science' Aug 13, 2007
You've said the great, late Hal Ashby ("Harold and Maude," "Being There") is one of your film heroes. His rsum was stellar and yet we don't really see many Hal Ashby retrospectives. (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
Read on... Aug 10, 2007
Three films that mean a lot to me: The Coen brothers Raising Arizona Hal Ashbys Harold and Maude Michel Gondrys Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Last CD I bought: Yours to Keep, Albert Hammond Jr.. (Variety)
'SCIENCE' OF FINDING A VOICE Aug 5, 2007
" Blitz's insistence on a hint of sadness in even the happiest moments recalls both his own documentary - in which it was genuinely heartbreaking to see the kids who didn't win - and the films of his idol, director Hal Ashby. "I would watch 'Harold and Maude' once a month when I was prepping it," he admits. "There were days when I would look at Reece [Thompson, who plays Hal] on set and he would look so much like Bud Cort to me," he says. "He has this hangdog quality to him - there's a built-in... (New York Post -- Entertainment)
Film Weekly goes to America - and cries Jul 29, 2007
Harold And Maude', 'Reds' and 'The Battle Of Algiers. The end of the magnificently entertaining 'Kung Fu Hustle': from when Stephen Crow starts diving back down to earth at great speed until the little boy gets offered some kung fu books. (Guardian Unlimited)
Time bombs tick as Scud takes aim Jul 19, 2007
Clearly it's less empowering to bandy about terms like "intergenerational love" lest you get caught up in a scandal and plastered all over the front pages of the Daily Telegraph for being a Fiendy McSexcreep, but for the most part we can accept the odd Harold and Maude romantic transaction with nary the blink of an eyelid. She's 35, he's 19, they don't sit around discussing the back catalogue of 10cc. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Karlovy high on Ashby's 'Maude' Jul 4, 2007
Czech auds gave Hal Ashby's 1971 cult romancer "Harold and Maude" five minutes of sustained applause at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival on Monday, bringing a tear to the eye of thesp Bud Cort. Fest veterans reported never seeing such a response to a 36-year-old pic -- but this one, and most others in fest's New Hollywood section, is still unknown in the Czech Republic owing to Cold War censorship in the 1970s. (Variety)
Film's king of cringe keeps it in the family Jul 2, 2007
Nine-year-old Maude, named for the film Harold and Maude, scores one of the movie's biggest laughs when she tells Seth Rogen, who plays slacker lead Ben, that everyone's saying "Ben's a prick. What does that mean?" When Rogen tells her, she copies him: "Penis." And walks away laughing. Maude's parents beam proudly as they remember their little girl's improvisational skills. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
What's on your top 10 movies list? Jun 30, 2007
Bringing up Baby Harold and Maude They Might Be Giants Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Fight Club Amelie Proof Northfork Jackie Browne Canadian Bacon. I could do a movie marathon of all ten. (NPR)
She'd like to be normal -- but she likes him too much Jun 22, 2007
Today's Globe Local Politics Opinion Magazine Education NECN Special reports Obituaries. Watching "Eagle vs Shark" is like sitting next to a terminally awkward first date at a restaurant. (Boston Globe)
Movie review: Beauty and the geek have a baby in ‘Knocked Up’ Jun 7, 2007
Think Hal Ashby s Harold and Maude meets Revenge of the Nerds meets John Hughes She s Having a Baby. Apatow s E. (Lompoc Record, CA)
A critic's confession May 19, 2007
Somehow we realized films like these and, later, "The Godfather" films, "Mean Streets," "Harold and Maude," "Bananas," "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" and countless others hadn't been churned out by the same Hollywood mentality that gave us "Love Story," "The Towering Inferno" and "Jacqueline Susann's Once Is Not Enough.". But back to "Star Wars" the movie, not the harbinger of all the bad things to come in Hollywood. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
It's Hard Out There for a Ho: Mar 3, 2007
Instead, Black Snake Moan morphs into a wacky intergenerational bonding movie, something closer to Harold and Maude or The Karate Kid with a dusting of Southern grit. Lazarus and Rae, as it turns out, aren't a couple but twins: Stubborn, damaged, and lonely, they each need something from the other. (Slate)
CHILDREN OF MEN Wins Cinematographer Awards Feb 20, 2007
Alonzo shot such classics as HAROLD AND MAUDE, LADY SINGS THE BLUES, NORMA RAE and SCARFACE.. The ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards were inaugurated in 1987 for the purpose of recognizing and inspiring the quest for artistry in narrative filmmaking. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Judd Apatow On Creating A Fake Musical Biopic Feb 13, 2007
I also love "Harold and Maude" which is filled with songs by Cat Stevens ... An operetta is a romantic-comic opera that includes songs and dancing, but that's not 'Harold and Maude' either. (VHI.com -- Music News)
Movie Reviews Feb 9, 2007
It is not an inspiring eccentric relationship, a la "Harold and Maude." Maurice makes sexual references and clearly expresses such intentions. However, there is a platonic level of attraction, manifested in his nickname for her, "Venus.". (University News, MO)
Valentine's Day movies for couples Feb 9, 2007
"Harold and Maude" - You have to take this movie with a grain of salt. Adapted from the French novel "Harold et Maude," it follows a suicidal young man who forms an unlikely friendship with a woman on the eve of her 80th birthday. (The Villanovan, PA)
A double bill that's trippy, deranged, and classic '70s underground Jan 26, 2007
"El Topo" ("The Mole") came out of nowhere in 1970 to become a mainstay of the alterna-theater programming that would flower with "Harold and Maude" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Actually, you can thank John Lennon, who was so blown away by a screening of the film that he urged Beatle s manager Allen Klein to buy worldwide distribution rights. Audiences showed up expecting a happening and got an absurdly violent, lysergically visionary head-trip about an avenging Man in Black (Jodorowsky... (Boston Globe -- Living)
A royal year at the box office: the top 10 films. Jan 20, 2007
The oddity of the family and the humor derived therein recalls Harold and Maude. Although even the charming Alan Arkin cant quite stand up to the timeless Ruth Gordon, the film is a tiny gem of a treasurea comedy of the unfortunate absurd. (Yale Herald, CT)
'High School Musical' is bubbly fun Jan 16, 2007
She was best known for Harold and Maude, but was also one of the finest and hardest working actresses in NYC. As is Alison Fraser. By Kennesaw Mom. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
